Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what the remit is of the National Institute for Health and Care Research for the commercialisation of early-stage clinical research.

The National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) invests in research, clinical expertise, specialist facilities, workforce and support services across a range of clinical areas. All NIHR research infrastructure actively supports collaboration with the life sciences industry and supports the commercialisation of new research and related technologies to help grow new companies (including SMEs). The NIHR has a dedicated IP Unit that aims to develop the capacity of NIHR to enter into commercial research partnerships with relevant life science or healthcare organisations as well as providing support in the area of commercial processes, IP management and advice in order to maximise return on investment.